Improvement in fruit-gatherers



'which consists, essentially,

timed. gisten' @peut mit.

L etters'Pate/nt No. 93,667, dated August 17, 1869.

IMPROVEMENT IN FlRUIT-GATEERERS.

The Schedule referred to in these' Letters Patent and making part of thesame.

To all whom it may concer-n:

Be it known that I, JOHN BowLn's, of Augusta, Richmond county, Georgia,have invented a new and' useful Improvement in Fruit-Gatherers; and thatthe following is asufciently iiill and exact description to enable oneskilled iu the art to makeand use my said invention, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specication.

My invention relates to that class of fruit-gatherers of a cylinder orring, of metal or other rigid material, mounted (while in use) uponalong pole, and employed to sever the fruit from the tree, and deliverit to a long sack or hose, of cloth or other'flexible material, bywhichit may be conducted to the ground, or to a basket or otherreceptacle, or into the hand of the operator, without bruising.

The nature of my improvement consists in forming' or providing ytheupper edge of the ring, to which the conducting-hose 'is attached, witha sharp knife, for the purpose of cutting the stems of the fruit; and,-further, in the employment ornse of a circular range of guards, which,projecting beyond the edge of the knife, effectually prevent the fruitfrom coming in contact'therewith, but permit the passage of the stems,

and afterward confine them 1n close proximity to the knife, until theyare severed; and, finally, in an improved device for attaching the ringor annular knife.

In order that my invention may be clearly understood, I will now proceedto describe it with 'reference to theaccompanying drawings, in whichlFigure l is a plan or top view of my'irnproved fruitgatherer.

Figure-2 represents .an elevation of the same, the upper portions onlyof the supporting-handle and con. ducting-hose being shown;

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both views.

A represents thecylinder or ring, formed, ata a a, with sharpI edgesorknives, for severingthe fruitstems.`

The annular knife A is supported by a yoke, A1B, hinged toit, at b b,and mounted upon a handle, H, which may be of any required length, toenable the operator to reach the fruit upon the tree from the ground orother convenient stand-point. 1

O represents a portion of the conducting-hose, of

'cloth or lother flexible material, attached all around the annulus A byrivets c c, or other means.

D D D are standards, attached to the annular knife A by set-screws E,which occupy slots d d, so that the standards can be adjustedlongitudinally, for the purpose to be presently explained.

this manner, and, passing F F represent guards, of wire onother flexiblema.- terial, and. of triangular form, eachof which` is attached, at itsvapex,.to the top of one of the standards, while its free lower ends larebent inward, overlapping each other, and Aembracing the standard, in'such a manner that a small object, such as one or more stems ofapples,cherries, vor other fruit, being drawn downward into the convergingspace between two adjacent guards, will press apart the yielding lowerparts of the said guards, and pass between them` Ato the knife, a,below; but the upper part of the guards, where they are more distantfrom each other, and areattached to the standards, being 'comparativelyunyieldiug, will effectually prevent the entrance, between the guards,of the fruit itself, and the latter will thus be perfectly protectedfrom contact or injury by the knives a.

In using the device, the standards D are so adjusted that the horizontalparts ofthe guards will be in such proximity to the knives q, a as toadmit the stems of whatever fruit is to be gathered, with but/ littlespace to spare. Thus, if apples or other large fruit are to be gathered,a wider space will be required; but if 'small fruits, such as cherries,are to be gathered, the space should be less.

A cluster of cherry-stems, entering between the disytant 'upper parts ofthe guards, will be drawn closely together as they descend, (or as theinstrument is pressed upward,) and, pressing apart the yielding lowerportions of the guards, will pass directly against theA knife, andbeinstantly severed, without the possibility of injury tothefriiititself'.

All descriptions of fruit can be safely gathered in througl theuing A,into the conductor O, are thereby conveyed to the ground, or to thehandofthe operator, or to any receptacle, without injury.

Having thus described my invention, the following is what I claim asnew, and desire to secure by'Letters Patent:

1. I claim the guards l, secured, at top, to 'the standards D, andadapted to yield at their lower parts, substantially as and for thepurposes specified.

2. I claim the annularknife A ein combination with guards F, to preventthe contactof thefruit therewith, substantiallyas set forth.

3. I claim the yoke B, hinged to the ring A, substantially as described,so that the latter may be pre-- sented to the fruit at any proper angle.

BQWLES'.^

Witnesses:

Oc'rAvlUs. KNIGHT,

FRnD'n. KLAUGKE, Jr.

